Project on Early detection of diabetic retinopathy in the community:
Raise awareness, standardize treatment procedures
The Project on Early Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy in the Community in Binh Dinh in the period of 2019 - 2023, funded by FHF (The Fred Hollows Foundation) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), has had many successes and achieved good results compared to the set target.
The project is implemented with 3 objectives: Raise awareness about diabetes (DR) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) of people at risk of vision loss due to diabetes; Organize well-organized services related to DR in the direction that people at risk of vision loss due to diabetes are easily accessible; Data collection on diabetes and DR in Vietnam.
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Examination and screening of DR. Photo: HIEN NGO |
High efficiency
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“During the implementation of the Project, the researchers calculated that when DR is treated, it will save the health system about 163 million VND in 10 years/per patient. That is a very large amount, proving that the project has high economic efficiency. I think the project should be replicated in other districts of the province and other provinces and cities across the country." Mr. Huynh Tan Phuc, Chief Representative of FHF Vietnam, Director of FHF Asia Program |
Appreciating the results achieved by the Project in Binh Dinh, Mr. Huynh Tan Phuc, Chief Representative of FHF Vietnam, Director of the FHF Asia Program, shared: The project implemented in Binh Dinh province achieved quite high efficiency compared to the set targets. Specifically, the number of patients visiting DR is increasing every year. From a few dozen people in 2019, by 2022, more than 2.500 patients have been examined and more than 400 patients are treated. The number of diabetes patients coming for screening has also increased, from a few people in 2019 to 2022 people by 7.000. These data show that the change in people's perception is very positive. Moreover, they already know the place of examination, are aware of the need to go for screening for diabetes in general and DR in particular.
Awareness raising activities are carried out strongly by the Project through communication and consulting activities in various forms, helping to raise people's awareness clearly. Along with that, the provision of services for examination and early detection of DR at health facilities in the province achieved the set goals. Doctor Nguyen Thanh Triet, Director of Binh Dinh Eye Hospital, Deputy Director of the Project Management Board in Binh Dinh, said: Thanks to the project's support, training, technology transfer, and better equipment support, medical facilities in the project beneficiary localities have implemented early detection of DR, especially with the ability to assist in early detection of DR with the help of human DR.
As a direct beneficiary of the project, Mr. Duong Hong Su, Dong Da ward, Quy Nhon city, shared: In 2004, I was diagnosed with diabetes and received treatment instructions. By 2019, I felt that my eyes were blurred and I could not read newspapers. I went to a doctor in some places, some places told me to have surgery, but it was on Tet, so I postponed it. Then, when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, I had an underlying disease, so I did not dare to go to the doctor. In 2022, after the epidemic was under control, with the referral of a local medical facility, I went to Binh Dinh Eye Hospital for examination and discovered DR and was treated, now my health is fine.
Keep doing
Mr. Huynh Tan Phuc added: We found that in Binh Dinh province, the health system has linked and improved the management and screening of DR. In addition, guidelines for diagnosis, screening, and treatment of DR by the Ministry of Health have been issued for nationwide application. With these two premises, I think the health system of Binh Dinh has enough human and material conditions to participate in the management of DR. Regarding FHF, we always monitor and receive proposals from the Health sector of Binh Dinh province. Binh Dinh has performed very well the Project. In the near future, we will invite the Health sector of Binh Dinh province to share experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of this Project at domestic and international conferences.
Assessing the advantages in early detection of DR in the coming time, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Triet said: Now the hospital has a set of national documents guiding the diagnosis and treatment of DR; At the same time, with the support of the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Health to deploy artificial intelligence software, the hospital is committed to maintaining the DR screening models that have been implemented in the past time.
During the implementation period, the project organized 50 group communication sessions with 1.560 patients and their family members; organized 18 sessions to integrate scientific topics with the topic of diabetes - DR for doctors, nurses, internal and ophthalmic nurses with a total of 890 medical staff attending; 11.438 turns of people were screened in the community; at the same time, supporting the treatment of DR for poor patients, taking fundus pictures for 2.560 patients; support injection of Avastin for 765 patients…
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